CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE DEATH OF ARAGOG
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Draco and I walked hand in hand into the Great hall the following week, earning many stares and whispers. It had been no secret that we had been fighting all year, and many were surprised to see that we were still together.
I would've thought a week in the hospital wing with the daily dittany pick-me-ups and catching up on sleep would've helped Draco get better, but he was always as pale and worried as before. Assuming it was about the conversation he had had with Snape, I said nothing, since I wasn't supposed to know.
"The king and queen are still going strong!" A voice exclaimed. Eli was walking towards us, his arms out. I laughed and hugged him. "Let's go, big guy. Just because you got some cuts doesn't mean you're too manly for a hug."
"I really hate you, Jones," Draco smirked as Eli pulled him into our group hug. Eli just grinned back.
A throat cleared behind us and we pulled away to see Hermione standing there. "Hey, Hermione, what's up?" I asked.
"I have to talk to you," She said, glancing at Draco.
Sighing, I stepped towards her. "Yeah, alright." I followed her out of the Great Hall and into the entrance hall.
I stopped in my tracks when I saw that she was leading me to where Harry was standing with Ron. "Absolutely not," I tried to turn, but Hermione grabbed my arm and pulled me over to them.
Crossing my arms, I pretended not to hear Harry as he tried to apologize. "Oh, Giovanna, can't you just-" Ron tried.
"Can't I just what?" I seethed, glaring daggers at Harry. "He almost killed Draco! He used a stupid spell from a stupid book carelessly because he didn't even know what it did."
"I got rid of the book," Harry said quietly. "Ginny and I went to the Room of Requirement and she hid the book for me."
"Oh, I bet you and Ginny were playing a fair game of hide the zucchini while you were in there, huh?" I scowled, and Harry blushed deeply, Ron looking confused.
"I'm sorry, okay! But I'm not going to forget about the time he also poisoned my sister-" Harry began.
"We don't know that."
"Yes, we do."
Hermione cleared the silence by saying, "Harry, how about you tell Giovanna what I brought her here for."
"I'm going to try to get that memory from Slughorn today. I'll use the Felix Felicis. Do you want to come? You can have some of it too," Harry told me.
I was still livid with him and didn't plan on talking to him or forgiving him soon. "I'm still not over this, and I'm still mad, but I'll come. Just to get the memory."
"Glad that's settled," Harry breathed. "Tonight."
I glared at him one last time, then turned and went back into the Great Hall.
After classes were finished and the sun was near setting, I made my way to the Gryffindor common room, where Ron let me in.
Harry and Hermione were sitting by the window, looking at Harry's tiny vial of liquid luck. I looked at it and then glared up at him.
"You'll be damn lucky if I don't murder you while we're alone," I said through gritted teeth, then snatched the bottle from him. "Bottom's up."
I raised the vial to my mouth and drank half of it, then handed Harry the other half. It was sweet and didn't take any effects at first. Then a warm feeling spread all over my body.
Hermione and Ron eyes us closely. "Well? How do you feel?" Hermione asked.
"Excellent," Harry said at the same time I said "Brilliant." Harry and I stood, Ron and Hermione doing the same.
"Remember, Slughorn usually eats early, takes a walk, and then returns to his office," Hermione reminded us.
"Right. I'm going down to Hagrid's," Harry grinned, then turned to me. "How do you feel about going to Hagrid's."
Even though it was far from the plan we'd created, it felt like a great idea to me. "I feel great about that!" I grinned.
"What?" Hermione exclaimed as her and Ron followed Harry and I to the portrait. "No, guys, you have to talk to Slughorn! We have a plan."
"I know, but I've got a really good feeling," Harry told them.
"Yeah, me too. I feel like it's the place to be tonight," I nodded enthusiastically, Harry smiling at me.
We both looked at Ron and Hermione and said, "D'you know what we mean?"
The two shared a worried look, then looked back at us, and said, "No."
"Trust, us we know what we're doing," Harry reassured them as we turned back to the portrait.
"And if we don't, Felix does!" I winked, and then followed Harry out.
We walked out of the castle easily; luckily Filch had managed to forget to lock the doors that night. With another stroke of luck, we didn't bump into anyone on the way either, making our path down to Hagrid's clear and simply.
"Harry," I stopped. "What do you say we take the long way? Through the greenhouses?" I didn't know why, but it seemed like a good idea.
"I say we do it," Harry nodded. I laughed a little, knowing how dumb we must look to someone passing by.
So, we walked down the the greenhouses. Slughorn was outside one of them, his head poking through an open window into the greenhouse. Harry and I walked by, then turned and stood right next to him as he clipped part of the plant.
He turned and let out a cry of surprise when he turned and saw us standing there. Harry and I laughed.
"Sorry, sir," Harry grinned. "You probably feared we were Professor Sprout."
"I did, actually," Slughorn confessed. "What made you think?"
"Professor, we've done loads of sneaking around," I waved my hand. "We recognize someone not doing what they're supposed to when we see it."
"Personally these plants always freaked me out. Mmm," Harry frowned, changing the subject. Then, he and I turned, and continued on our trek to Hagrid's.
"Exactly how did you two get out of the castle?" Slughorn asked, ducking out of the window.
"Through the front door, sir," I smiled.
Harry then explained a little more. "We're off to Hagrid's. You see, he's a very dear friend and we just fancy paying him a visit. So, if you don't mind, we will be going now."
"Potters!" Slughorn exclaimed, and Harry and I stopped walking and turned around, looking at him.
"Sir!" We said together.
"It's nearly nightfall. Surely you realize I can't allow you to roam around by yourselves," Slughorn protested.
"I mean, you're welcome to come along," I offered, feeling as though that was a good idea.
Slughorn looked around before reluctantly trailing after Harry and I. We led the way down the hill to Hagrid's hut. All the while, he was calling after us and trying to get us to go back to the castle. We did not.
When we arrived at Hagrid's we found him standing behind the hut, by the dead body of an acromantula. I couldn't help but cheer inside, remembering too clearly that it had almost killed Harry, Ron, and I four years ago.
Hagrid, however, was sniffling and wiping his eyes. "Merlin's beard..." Slughorn trailed off as Harry and I stood to one side of Hagrid, him on the other. "Is that an actual acromantula?"
"If my eyes aren't mistaken- a dead one, sir," I nodded.
"Dear fellow, however did you manage to kill it?" Slughorn asked Hagrid incredulously.
"Kill it?" Hagrid exclaimed. "My oldest friend, he was."
"I'm so sorry, I didn't-"
"Ah, don't worry yourself, you're not alone. Seriously misunderstood creatures, spiders are. It's the eyes, I reckon, they unnerve some folks."
"Not to mention the pinchers," Harry wiggled his fingers and made pinching noises, but stopped when he saw Hagrid's face.
"Hagrid, the last thing I wish to be is indelicate, but acromantula venom is uncommonly rare. Would you allow me to extract a vial or two? Purely for academic purposes, you understand." Slughorn asked.
When Hagrid granted him permission, Slughorn walked around to the front of the spider and bent down to where the mouth was. After ripping off a fang on accident, Slughorn returned side by side with Hagrid, Harry, and I. "Would you like me to say a few words?" He asked.
"Yes," Hagrid said, teary-eyed.
"He had a family, I trust?" Slughorn asked.
"Oh yeah," I nodded.
And so Slughorn began. "Farewll..."
"Aragog," Hagrid sniffed.
"Farewell, Aragog. King of the arachnids. Your body will decay, but your spirit lingers on."
Harry and I stayed with Slughorn and Hagrid in Hagrid's hut until it was dark out, and the professors had one too many drinks. As of right now, they were singing a song as Harry and I grinned, watching them.
"And his wand, snapped in two,
which was sad!"
They finished the song, and Harry and I started clapping for them.
Hagrid went on to tell Slughorn about Aragog. He explained how he had the spider from an egg, and how he it grew up at Hogwarts with him.
"I reckon we'll get that memory soon," Harry whispered to me. I stifled a yawn and nodded, rubbing my tired eyes.
A minute later, Hagrid slumped back against the wall, his eyes shut, snoring loudly. I suppose I wasn't the only tired one. I laughed a little and shook my head.
Slughorn was quiet before addressing Harry and I. "Once when I walked into my office, there was a bowl on my desk. A bowl of clear water with a flower petal sitting on top. The petal sank and turned into a fish. It was a lily petal. From your mother." He took a deep breath. "One day, I came downstairs, and the bowl was empty. It was the day your mother..."
Slughorn looked right at us. "I know why you two are here. But I can't help you. It would ruin me."
"Do you know why we survived, Professor?" Harry asked. "The night we got our scars? Because of her. Because she sacrificed herself, because she refused to step aside. Because her love was more powerful than Voldemort."
"Don't say his name," Slughorn shook his head.
"No, we do say his name," I said firmly. "We aren't afraid. The truth is- we are the 'Chosen Ones'. Only we can destroy him, but in order to do so, we need that memory."
"Be brave, Professor," Harry said as we stood and walked over to Slughorn. "Be brave like our mother."
"Please don't think badly of me, you have no idea what he was like even back then," Slughorn whispered. He took out an empty vial from his pocket, and pressed the tip of his wand to his temply.
He dragged it away, a line of silvery stuff attached to it. He placed it into the vial, and handed it to Harry and I.
Thank you, Felix, I thought, taking the vial.